On the assessment of water-holding capacity of hot- vs cold-boned pork

Abstract

The effects of time of boning and storage period on creatine kinase (CK) activity, transmission value, drip losses and water-holding capacity (WHC) measured by various methods was investigated. At 40 min post-mortem 30 pig carcasses with pH values > 6·2 in the loin were selected. The right loin of each carcass was hot boned and vacuum packaged immediately. The left loin was cold boned and packaged after overnight chilling at 2 ± 2°C. After 1, 5 and 12 days of storage at 0 ± 1°C, 10 hot- and cold-boned loins were unpacked and sampled. Time of boning did not affect drip losses. At 1 day post-mortem the CK activity was higher in hot- than in cold-boned pork. Sarcomere lengths were not affected by time of boning. The WHC was investigated by two controlled methods. A filter-paper press method was not sensitive enough to assess differences in WHC of hot- vs cold-boned pork. The results of a gravimetric method depended on the sample location. Results of the gravimetric test decreased with increasing storage periods. The results suggest that under the experimental conditions the chilling rates of hot-boned vs carcass-attached muscles were similar.